Red Barchetta: The Ballad of Ryan Cooper
by xXMethereaperXx
Summary: Had you told Ryan Cooper that he'd be tearing up the circuit in the near future, he would have laughed and kicked the tires of his car. His first race against the Jewels racing league had become legendary. The fact that anyone would challenge them, specially in an outdated GEO was absurd. The fact he didn't lose was just so. Does he have what it takes to hang with the Jewels?
1. Prologue

Just a story I came up with. inspired by my first car and pretty much my first year driving…

Since I am not artistic in any way, I will be uploading a picture of my actual car. I may change it later on if I take a new pic, I'd done a little more to it since my last shoot of it.

This is kind of Ryan's rise to fame as a top racer of the Pro Street Circuit.

* * *

The party was amazing, same as those the months before. When the Jewels throw a party, they go overboard. Good drinks, popular people, and live music. That's where we came in.

We were never popular enough to get invited on our own. Just another underclassmen rock band. We must have been doing something right, every party we were asked to play.

There were, however, three rules we had to follow. No fighting, stay hidden, and don't ruin the vibe. As I said, we weren't popular so we shouldn't expect to be treated like we were.

It was after the volleyball tournament that we were told to get ready. I hung back to tune my guitar when Ken walked over, sunglasses hanging from his pants pocket, expensive polo tied around his waist.

"Hey," he said as he shook the pool water from his short, blonde hair.

Him being the only one of the Jewels to talk to me, I assumed it was because of him we were always asked to play their parties. He seemed nice enough so I always held conversation with him, specially at his sister's birthday party.

"How's it going?" I asked while I adjusted my E string.

"Not bad, look around," he added with a chuckle, "I was wondering if you could do me a favor after the show."

I shrugged, wondering what he could need me to do for him, "Sure, whatever you need."

"Good," he said with a smile and held out his hand.

I stretched mine out and he dropped something into it and walked away. With a confused stare I found myself looking at the key to a Nissan S13. I looked to the parking area where his car sat next to the rest of the expensive, customized rides.

His silver and blue Nissan sat lower than most and had an evil glint to it's gleaming body kit.

Figuring he wanted me to wash it or something, I put the key in my pocket and shook my long hair from away my face. With a last sigh I walked to where everyone stood by their instruments.

"Don't screw this up," said the voice behind the evil look that was Seth, "I'd like to be invited to the next one."

I returned the glare and plugged into the supplied amp. Seth was adjusting his symbols when Rod slid towards me.

"You got this right? This is Crystal Price's birthday, we mess this up and we might not be let back."

I swung at his green Mohawk and pushed him back to his bass, "Yeah, yeah."

Just hearing her name was enough to picture her. Long blonde hair, short skirt, almost snow white skin, and the most attractive purple tinted eyes you'd ever seen. I might've been ok, if I hadn't looked to where her Mitsubishi slid to a stop.

She looked so small stepping out of the huge car. A black Lancer with wide body kit and numerous decals from all the aftermarket parts installed. A smile and a wave was all she gave them.

The pink Mazda was the next to park. Stepping out of her RX-7 Spirit was Ruby. Her long, red hair trailed behind her as she swung it to keep from closing it in her door. As if posing for Tuner Magazine, she raised her index finger like a gun and blew on the end.

You heard Carl before you seen him. The 400hp American muscle car slid around the side of the house in a flourish of burning rubber and expert driving. After one more circle through the large driveway, the Mustang rolled into line between Ken's Nissan and Ruby's Mazda.

Stepping out of the pristine '68, Carl stretched to his full height and absorbed the attention. His school uniform rested over his bronze chest and fluttered in the light breeze. Another snotty rich kid with more money spent on tanning than a small country's income.

So, we waited. Nothing more we could do.

"So what're we doing?" Seth asked while adjusting his microphone stand and adjusting the volume on his amp.

"Same as always," I began, "Give'em a show."

**[][][]**

"Change of plans," Ken said as he walked to where I was waiting.

I turned at the sound of his voice and noticed Crystal walking with him.

"I won't be needing your help after all,"

By the tone of his voice, I could tell whatever he was planning had been figured out and was most likely ruined.

I handed him his key and began calculating how long of a walk home I had ahead of me.

"Hold on, we'll give you a lift home,"

I stopped and thought for a moment, "That's okay, it's only ten, maybe twenty miles…"

"Nonsense, get in the car,"

**[][][]**

Crystal was driving the S13 with about as much skill as I'm sure Ken would. Had he not been passed out in the backseat of course.

I sat quietly in the front seat, looking out the window. I tried my best to keep from ruining this rare demonstration of Jewels hospitality.

Finally reaching the city, she turned off the highway and broke the silence, "So, where are you going?"

Her voice quiet and sounded a touch bored. Had the radio been on,

"As close to Maple as you want."

"How about here," she said as she pulled toward the side of the road, an area known as the rough part nearly four miles from home.

I unhooked my seatbelt and reached for my guitar bag.

Laughing, she shifted back into park and pulled away from the curb, "Relax, I'm just kidding."

"Ha, Ha," I sighed as I buckled my belt.

"So, Ryan, are you driving yet?"

"Well," I began, "I got my license the other day and I'm supposed to get my car tomorrow."

"What are you getting?" she asked while pulling to a stop at a traffic light.

The question reminded me that dad hadn't told me what he was getting me, "I don't know yet. My sister got a new Lexus, so hopefully something good. I got some money put up so even if it's a Hyundai I can make it drivable."

"Weren't you going out with her in junior high?"

I flushed at the embarrassment of someone remembering that, "Yeah, before our parents got married."

"The way everyone talked about it made it seem like you were blood related."

"Yeah, I'd rather not talk about it."

There was another stretch of silence.

"If you could own any car, what would it be?"

There it was, the question that kept me up many nights.

"Well, if I could have anything, it'd be a Panda Trueno. The '86 model with the flip up lights. A 240sx wouldn't be too bad either."

"Not bad choices," she said as she stopped at the corner of Maple and let me out.

"Thanks for the ride," I said as I opened the door and pulled myself to my feet.

"No problem. Now I gotta get the drunk to the liquor store before it closes."

**[][][]**

At 6:45 in the morning I looked out of my window and seen a shadow cast across the driveway. After ignoring Lucy's comment about me being ready before her, I ran through the kitchen and into the garage where it sat.

The ugliest thing I'd ever seen.

It's height betrayed you into thinking it was a truck. The compact body made you think it was a car. There were a few dents in the fender, but the rust showed mercy and stayed along the bottom of the doors nearly obliterating the rocker panels.

It sat in the garage looking as confused as I was. The red paint faded and there were only three hubcaps, the name GEO embellished in the same red as the body.

The interior was stained and in need of a good vacuuming. The seats were red and black, and they tried to fool you into thinking they were aftermarket.

I looked at the odometer, it read an absurd two hundred and twenty six thousand mile. I didn't bother looking under the hood, not that the lever to pop it was there anyway.

The ragtop roof was dry rotted and the plastic windows were so faded, you could barely see through them.

"So, what do you think?" my dad asked from the doorway.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at the 'TRACKER' sticker on the quarter panel.

He came into the garage and set his coffee cup on the bench, "It's your car."

"This?" I asked kicking the tire, listening to rust flakes fall on the garage floor.

He looked it over, "It's a beauty, isn't it? I had one when I was a kid."

"It's a go-kart…"

"No, it's a 90's hybrid, half car, half truck. It's small, meaning it'll be good on gas, and in the winter the heat will work better."

I spent another moment looking at the… car.

"You spent all the money on the Lexus, didn't you?"

He didn't say anything for quite some time.

"A guy at work was gonna junk it, so I told him I'd take it from him. You don't like it?"

"It's… not what I was expecting."

He ran his hands through his paling brown hair and looked through the open garage door to where Lucy's Lexus was parked, "You wanted a Lexus too? Well let me tell you something about her car."

He walked to the door to get a better look at it.

"That is the safest car on the market. Twelve airbags, reinforced pillars, and I had the mechanic tweak it so it wouldn't go any higher than ninety miles an hour. Lucy's accident prone, and I'd rather her be in something safe. You however, are a man. You're bound to get a little crazy with your first car, and it's better to destroy something cheap."

He turned around and once again remarked on the car in the garage, "I think if you give it time, you'll come to enjoy it. It's got a pretty strong frame, so you have a lot to work with if you want to customize it. We put a V8 in mine, totaled it a year later."

"It's because I'm not really your son, isn't it?"

He froze and didn't move for quiet some time. Eventually he opened the door and pulled the key from the ignition.

"I'm sorry you don't like it," he began as he picked up his cup and started for the house, "But I'm disappointed that you won't even try it."

'Damn it, dad,'

"Give me the keys."

He turned and tossed them across the room, "You'll see. Soon you won't imagine yourself driving anything but this."

I spent the next five minutes staring it down. I could almost feel it's nervousness. With a loud sigh, I walked toward the door and hit the button for the garage door opener. When the door was fully closed I turned off the lights and walked into the house to finish getting ready for school.

* * *

There you have it, not a bad opening in my opinion. Oh well, next chapter, we'll find out how it drives.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 1

Here we go, first actual chapter. We know he wasn't too thrilled about his car, but let's find out if he feels the same at the end.

* * *

Ryan stood leaning against the passenger door of the Lexus as he waited for Lucy. He kept glancing toward the garage door and could still see the vehicle that sat inside.

"Not driving today?" came the tired sounding voice of his sister, her black hair neatly straightened to contrast her lack of sleep.

He shook his head and opened the car door, "Not today."

"What'd you get? I didn't get to see it yet."

He shrugged, "I don't know what to call it. It's like a Frankenstein."

"Let me see it," she said, reaching for the garage door opener on the dash.

He stopped her before hitting the button, "Not now."

"It can't be all that bad," she said as she started the car.

He scoffed while buckling his seat belt. She revved the engine twice before putting it into gear. Funny how he never noticed the limiter until now. It did sound weird on an automatic.

"What about after school?"

He shook his head, "Not until it's presentable."

[][][]

Ryan sat at the lunch table, his tray set aside, his phone in his hand. After spending the first four hours researching, the more he understood what he had.

Reviews online from owners had nothing bad to say, yet there were overwhelming hate comments from non-owners.

The report by the highway safety bureau stated there were over twelve-hundred casualties due to overturning of the vehicle on shallow corners. The owner's manual even stated, "In the event of rollover, the overhead cap may be used as an escape hatch."

The more he read, the more disgusted he became by it.

"Any news?" Lucy asked as she sat at the table with her lunch tray.

Ryan shook his head, "It's seeming more like a death trap than a vehicle."

"Well," she began while spearing a piece of broccoli, "That just means you have to drive carefully."

"It'd be safer if I didn't drive it at all."

"Don't you have some money saved up?" she asked while yawning and resting her head on her arm.

That's when the idea struck him, "Yeah, that's right, I got about a grand saved. I could buy a decent car for that."

She shook her head, "Why don't you just put the money into what you got? You could make it into something you'll like."

"Yeah, I doubt that." he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Come on," she began, sitting up after realizing she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, "You talk about it like it's the worst thing ever. I'm sure it's nowhere near as bad as you make it out to seem.

Ryan gave a loud sigh, "I wanted something I could race, there's no way a GEO could even come close to be competitive."

Crystal had been walking by and glanced back at the sound of the name. Her pace slowed, but she didn't stop walking. She set her tray down loudly at a table being shared by the rest of the jewels farther up.

He seen her whispering something to Ken who looked in his direction. Ryan hung his head and returned to his phone.

"Ok," Lucy said after the warning bell began ringing, "Show me it."

[][][]

The garage door rose slowly, the seconds dreading by. Once fully open and the vehicle completely visible, Lucy walked inside. She spent five minutes looking at nearly every body panel it possessed. She opened the passenger door and looked around the interior.

A latch beneath the grab bar caught her attention and she pulled it, dropping the storage box open. She looked inside the small space.

"What's this do?" she asked, pulling a lever she seen inside.

The hood popped up with a clunk.

"So that's how you open it," Ryan said while flipping the release and raising the hood.

The engine was so small compared to the ones he'd seen. It looked as if he could carry it himself, should the need arise.

There was dried oil stuck around the edge of the valve cover, oil filter, and the entire alternator.

He shook his head while he let the hood slam, standing back to await the verdict.

Lucy walked to where he stood and looked it over again.

"I kinda like it," she said with a nod.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean it's no Lexus, but it's cute. It's small, but also a truck. And in the summer we can take the roof off and go cruising to the beach."

"You've got to be kidding." he added with a shake of his head.

Lucy sighed and put her hand on the hood, "Don't listen to him, I'm sure you drive great."

Martin began looking over the GEO again.

"Well, I'm going inside, have to get started on homework."

Ryan remained in the silence of the garage.

"She thinks you're cute," he said while kicking the tire.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out the key. He looked at it a moment before deciding to take a drive.

[][][]

After assuring his wallet and phone were in his pocket, he climbed behind the wheel. After adjusting his seat, he realized had the hood release been in the usual place he would have bumped it with his leg.

Taking in the interior, he noticed how everything was designed around the driver. All the climate controls were within reach, the e-brake directly to his right near the gear shift, an empty panel where he assumed the four wheel drive selector would have been, and the gauges were easy to read.

All there was were the important ones, a speedometer, a gas gauge, and an temperature gauge with a string of warning lights above them.

After turning the ignition on, the check engine light along with a battery light were illuminated. Once the engine was running, the only light on was the check engine.

'No surprise there,' he thought to himself.

He spent a moment listening to the engine. It rumbled quietly, barely audible, but did so with a noticeable miss. Probably three years past it's tune up.

'Okay, here we go.'

He pushed in the brake and shifted into drive. The engine revved high for a moment before violently dropping into gear.

"That probably isn't good," he said thankful the brakes were functioning.

He slowly released the brake pedal, causing the car to idle forward. He turned right out of his driveway and proceeded down the road.

At twenty five miles an hour, the transmission shifted suddenly, dropping hard into second. Seeing an empty neighborhood devoid of cars, he pushed it further.

At forty it went into third smoothly, yet very premature. At sixty five the poor engine was screaming.

Settling down, he applied the brakes and felt the car shift to the right as he did so. He tried to recreate the event but had no luck.

"The transmission is definitely bad, and the brakes are sticking up front," he said to himself, making note of everything wrong.

Leaving the neighborhood, he decided if they had to sell it it'd be worth more, if anything, with working brakes and a full tune-up. He drove down the highway leading to the inner city, keeping with the minimal traffic at this hour. Along the tree line were the few billboards and inlets from dirt roads winding their way to the outer city.

He leaned against the door not even bothering to mess with the factory tape deck.

With the city in sight, he let go of the gas to slow down for a red light. The trans dropped into first with a lurch just as the light turned green.

He hit the gas to take off but heard the engine rev loudly. After a moment, the trans grabbed violently, lifting the front end off the ground as it shifted back to second.

He blinked at the force the vehicle launched and checked the speedometer. For all the power it was demonstrating, it only read thirty five.

He tried to ignore the shaking he experienced.

[][][]

After filling the gas tank and returning home from the shop he realized he spent more than he'd wanted to. Nearly two-hundred more than the zero he was comfortable with.

He closed the garage door and moved his bags to the counter. After-market spark plugs and wires, a gallon of oil and a filter, three cans of degreaser, aftermarket intake, a new radio and a set of speakers.

Waiting for the engine to cool down, he began installing the radio and the speakers. The radio went in fairly easy, but the speakers were the wrong size for the panels.

"Whatever," he said as he removed the rear panels and drilled holes to mount the new speakers.

An hour later, he plugged in his phone and began playing music. Every thing seemed to work perfectly, even the two speakers under the dash that he'd neglected to replace.

Cranking the volume, he moved on to the next task.

Removing the plug for the drain on the garage floor, he unraveled the hose and dropped it at the front of the car. Opening the hood, he began spraying the entire engine compartment with the degreaser. After using two cans, he deemed it ready for cleaning. Ten minutes later, he dropped the hose and listened to the music.

With a clean motor, he began making notes of everything else it'd need. With a large list in hand, he began spraying the windshield and roof, stopping when he seen water dripping into the interior.

"New roof," he added, confused at to why he was spending all this money on a car he didn't want.

After replacing the tune-up and oil change, he dropped behind the steering wheel and sat listening to the music. After several minutes, it began to distort.

Turning the key resulted in a click.

Sighing, he attached a charger to the battery and installed the intake. Checking the time, he decided he'd test it tomorrow.

He looked at the fruits of his labor. Still a beat-up car. He followed the edges of the hood and traced the body lines of the doors.

'It'd look pretty good black,' he thought.

Walking to the paint shelf, he selected three cans of flat black and started on the hood. From there came the grille, top and bottom of the doors, the bumpers, rims, and finally the gas door.

Now he admitted it looked better.

Seeing it was already eight thirty, he shut off the garage lights and left to do homework.

[][][]

Sitting in class he tried to ignore everything he heard. It seemed to be the only thing anyone cared about. Then again, at a school where the parking lot's usually filled with Beamers and tricked out cars, a beat up GEO was bound to draw attention. What made it worse, was that he mistakenly parked it in a non-student parking area.

"Will the owner of a red… thing please move your car from the staff lot,"

He stood from his desk and grabbed his books. The room was quiet as he walked to the door and fumbled for his keys.

As he got behind the wheel, every window on the second floor was occupied by people either pointing or laughing. Humiliation setting over him, he dropped into park and went to find a open spot.

Embarrassed he hadn't noticed where he parked, he made it to the road leading to the other lot. Coming to the corner by the football field, he couldn't imagine what their response would be.

Cutting the wheel and slamming the throttle, the rear end slid on the wet pavement from the rain that morning. Correcting, he let out a sigh of relief, thankful for the rain.

After parking, the sound of laughing carried to him on the wind. must have been coming from the field. He spent a moment looking at it. He'd never admit it, but he'd come to love his beat up truck thing. That one day of driving had changed that, and the little bit of money he spent on it made it all the more pleasing to the eyes.

Too bad it wouldn't last long.

[][][]

A week and a half of dealing with the abuse hadn't changed his thoughts. If anything, it made him enjoy it all the more. A couple days of midnight driving had shown him it's weaknesses and it's strengths.

The notes and graffiti on his locker was easy to shrug off. The verbal attacks were more difficult, but nothing some calm breathing couldn't fix.

Sitting at the same lunch table, he looked around the room. The table where his fellow band members sat was occupied by a fellow guitarist. You always kept track of anyone who played the same instrument as you.

While Lucy was talking about the gossip she'd heard during homeroom, Seth looked in his direction and shook his head.

It hurt that they'd replace him for something as stupid as owning a cheap car, but he'd get over it.

"Are you listening?"

He looked back and shook his head, "Not really."

A sigh was her response, "I thought you'd be interested to know, Carl wrecked his car yesterday."

"Really?"

She nodded, "Smashed his bumper and headlight on a guardrail."

'Finally, some good news.'

A group of people came walking by, Carl in the center talking about the accident.

Seeing Ryan brought a grin to his face, "At least my car's worth fixing."

They locked eyes amid the laughter, Ryan's cold glare holding steady.

"Why don't shut the hell up and get out of here."

Carl stopped and looked to Lucy.

"Meow, feisty one."

She started standing from the table as Crystal and Ken began walking over.

"Carl, get over here. Mouse's on the phone about your car,"

Carl walked away with Ken while Crystal looked towards Lucy, "Problem?"

Lucy sat down while mumbling how they all were the same.

Once Crystal walked away, she shook her head, "Don't let'em get to you."

"I can take care of them," he said, looking back to his phone.

"You do stupid things when you say that."

[][][]

Walking back to his car, he seen the paper on his window. Written in pink pen were the words 'Bitch Car'.

Looking to where the jewels stood beside their cars, Ryan had a good guess who did it.

Shaking his head, he pulled the door closed and started the engine. His radio began playing Barbie Girl on full blast. Everyone around started laughing while he struggled to find the hidden mp3 player.

Tracing the wire lead him to a cheap piece of plastic taped under the dash. Shutting off the ignition, he stepped out of the car and hurled the player into the pavement.

The only way for that joke to work meant hotwiring the ignition and messing with the radio. He felt his blood begin to boil and his vision began to shake.

Walking across the parking lot, he ignored the group of people following him yelling fight and focused only on Carl. Carl was still in an attack of laughter along with his lackey, Sal.

Ken looked up and seen Ryan and the spectators approaching. He tossed his phone into his car and ran to intercept him.

"Hey, what's-" was all he could get out.

Ryan pushed him hard, nearly knocking him over. Carl stood from his car and started towards him.

"It's one thing to mess with me, messing with my car is another," Ryan yelled, his throat growing sore.

Carl pointed across the lot, "It's a stretch calling that piece of shit a car."

Ryan rushed forward to hit him, but felt someone hold him back.

Ken pushed Carl back, "What'd you do now?"

"Just making sure he remembered his place."

"What's going on?" Crystal asked as her and Ruby ran toward the group.

Ryan struggled against the football player holding him, knowing all too well he wasn't going anywhere, "Me and you, right now!"

"I'll fight you," Carl yelled back, pushing against Ken.

"No. Not a fight, a race."

Carl burst into laughter along with a handful of the group behind him, "Man, that's the funniest thing I heard all day!"

Ken yelled for him to shut up and turned to Ryan, "Come on, think this through. If you want a race, I'll race you."

Ryan shook his head, "No, you'd take it easy on me."

"Then I'll race you,"

Everyone looked to Crystal and Ruby who were glaring at Carl.

"Are you serious?" Ken asked his sister.

She nodded, "It's the only to solve this. Get your car and park by the entrance."

Ryan shook himself free and walked toward his car, the crowd splitting to let him through.

[][][]

He cranked his radio, heavy metal blaring instead of Barbie Girl and waited, dreading the sound of the Lancer pulling beside him. Sal and Ruby left to distract the security guards and clear the track.

He pictured it in his mind. Around the entrance, down the side of the auditorium by the football field, then around the outer parking lot back to the entrance.

He revved his puny engine, knowing he didn't stand a chance. The people grouped behind them cheered, most of them for the Lancer engine, a few showing love to the GEO. Ken took his place in front of them, his face showing he didn't think this was a good idea.

He held his arms up. Looking to both the drivers, he dropped them.

The Lancer's front wheels spun, smoke billowing outward. Ryan slammed the pedal to the floor, launching forward violently instead of his wheels spinning.

He checked the mirror, amazed he beat her off the line.

His lead didn't last though, she passed him as they entered the first turn and stayed ahead. Coming to the second, however, she braked hard to make the tight corner. Instead of braking, Ryan swung around her and used his momentum to enter the corner.

Ripping the e-brake, the front end dove and the rear tires chirped as they slid into the corner. The people gathered there were cheering while he corrected and sped down the road.

Looking in the mirror, he saw he had a decent lead on her. Looking forward, he seen auditorium coming into view.

Braking, he swung to the left around it and approached the field.

Checking his lead, he seen she was still a bit behind him. He didn't think she was taking it easy on him, making him feel a little better.

Looking forward, he seen the football players watching him approach, not sure what was happening.

Ryan attempted to take the corner without braking and cut the wheel, proving to be a bad idea. The rear end swung more than he wanted and the driver side began to lift. Panicking, he let go of the wheel and covered his face.

The car rolled over twice, leaving a trail of body panels and glass in it's wake. Ryan felt himself go weightless for a moment before being tossed around by the impacts. The football players scattered as the car careened onto the field, coming to rest on it's side.

His vision began to blur and darken as he adjusted to his new view. The engine wasn't running and his radio had stopped playing.

He heard yelling from far away, though it could have been close. He unbuckled his seatbelt, dropping him onto the passenger door.

Amid his tumbling vision, he remembered what he read in the manual. He began kicking the vinyl roof over the front seats, tearing a hole in the material while he felt something run down his face. He put his hands out to pull himself free but was grabbed and pulled out by the football team.

The coach was over him, looking in his eyes with a small flashlight on his key ring.

"Can you hear me?"

Ryan nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The coach stood up, "Help me get him to the nurse."

[][][]

Crystal slid to a stop beside the brick wall of the auditorium, watching the GEO slide to a stop in the field. She ripped her seatbelt off and opened the door. Standing behind it, she looked to the corner of the wall where the camera was pointed to the field.

After thinking about it a moment, she hopped back in and followed the example of the scattering students.

She backed down the road, cutting the wheel and shifting into first, she sped away back to the front of the school.

* * *

Alright, seems like a good stopping point.

Thanks for reading.


End file.
